Clumsy
by NorikoTheGhost
Summary: When Sharpay started falling in love with Troy, she turns from an "Ice Princess" into a "Disastrous Mistress". TroyPay. Read and Review..
1. Third Rule

**TroyPay. :-)**

**High School Musical Fanfic.**

**Don't own it.**

**After hearing the song "clumsy" by fergie, this story just came up to me and before i could take my flight towards dreamland last night, i just started typing this to get it off my mind.**

**I haven't imagined Sharpay being nice but i'll try (for my story's sake). ;)**

**summary: Everyone at East High knew Sharpay Evans - a mean girl with cold heart and evil-ness, which made every student (including Ryan) to fear her. But little did they know that when Sharpay falls in love, she'll turn from an "Ice Princess" into a "Disastrous Mistress".**

**Sorry, 'm not really good at summarizing. **

* * *

There are at least two basic rules for every East High students.

One. Never get in the way of Sharpay Evans (if you want to get through high school).

Two. Never look at Sharpay, the Ice Princess, straight in the eye (or you'll spend your whole life living in Ice Age: Complete Misery).

The hallways of East High seemed to be in a perfect mood. Everyone chatting and exchanging information about almost anything. Troy Bolton, the captain and star player of East High's basketball team, named Wildcat, seemed to be in a perfect mood. Everyone was greeting him with their warmest of smiles.

"Troy!" called out an African-American guy who was wearing the Wildcat team jacket. It was Chad Danforth, his best friend. He was approaching him with such haste.

Troy came to a halt upon seeing his best friend. Judging by his looks, he knew something must be wrong. "Hey, man. What's up?" he asked him, crossing his arms and leaning over his locker, looking coolly.

"Man, you are so dead!" he warns him, and his voice was trembling.

Troy frowned and shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to standing straight. "What do you mean 'I am so dead'?" he asked him almost whispering. His heart pounding faster than usual.

"I just found out." He started, still trembling. "Gabriella? She put it on the wrong book." His arms waving in air.

"She put 'what' in the wrong book? Whose book?" he asked with eyes in confusion.

Chad gave him a questioning look. "The _you-know-what-it-is_ in the book. _Her _book!" He answered.

Troy gave another questioning look. Looking totally lost to whatever Chad was saying.

Chad looked at him with his jaw dropped. "You forgot? It has only been yesterday and you already forgot? Man, you're so screwed up!" he told him in disbelief. "Everyone always think that I have a screwed up brain because of my hair," referring to his afro hair. "But you? You're more screwed up than I am considering the fact that I am bullied most of the times because of my hair –" he trailed off.

"Will you just _tell_ me what your point is?"

"Oh. Okay. See. The thing is –" he started but was cut-off by the sudden appearance of a blonde girl wearing pink off-shoulders top paired with white shorts and stilettos. "Holy shit! Here comes your killer." He hissed in nervous tone, to Troy's ear.

Sharpay Evans stopped in front of Troy. "BOLTON, YOU ARE SO DEAD!" she screamed while fast approaching him. She was holding a thick book that looked like their Chemistry Book. She held it up high and hit it to Troy's face who hasn't had the chance to cover it for his own protection.

"OUCH! _EVANS_?" he growled in pain, holding the bridge of his nose. "What the hell is your problem?" he managed to asked, his head and nose throbbing both in pain.

Sharpay smiled sarcastically at him and rolled her eyes in mid-air before she faced Troy once again. "I don't have any problems, Bolton!" she answered with an innocent tone. "You're the one with the problems!" she shouted at him. Every student in the hallway witnessed what happened and was scandalized that they could not help but watch the two of them.

"Me?" he squeaked.

"Yes, _you_!" she snapped back, now eyeing him sharply.

Gabriella Montez and Taylor McKessie, Troy's and Chad's friends, just arrived at the scene and were taken aback by the angry look upon Sharpay's face. They held hands together and were afraid to approach either of the three.

When Sharpay noticed the presence of Gabriella and Taylor, her temper raised even more, eyeing Troy more dangerously. "If you think you can pull pranks at me that easily, then go see a psychiatrist, Bolton!"

"Me?" he squeaked again in disbelief. "I don't need any psychiatrist. In case you haven't noticed, you're the one in need of a psychiatrist here!" he snapped at her, still holding the bridge of his nose. "What the hell do you think you just did to me? Hitting me with a book and, God, my nose is broken thanks to you."

"Yeah. You really should be thankful, you idiot!" she snarled at him while lifting the book in mid-air once more, and much to Troy's horror, he covered his face as quickly as he possibly could while Chad backed a few steps away from him. However, Sharpay did not make another hit. "I swear I'm going to _kill_ you, Bolton!" she finished with much annoyance in her tone and stormed out of their way.

"RYAN!" they all heard her shout her twin brother's name as she made her turn on the right corner of the hallway. Chad, Gabriella, and Taylor started approaching Troy who was beginning to gently massage his nose bridge still throbbing in pain.

"Are you okay?" Chad asked while he puts his hand on Troy's shoulder.

Troy raised an eyebrow. "Sharpay hit me right in my face with her thick Chemistry book and I think my nose is broken. Yeah, I'm fine! Never been better!" he replied sarcastically. "Jesus! What the hell is wrong with that girl?"

Gabriella, Chad, and Taylor all exchanged glances and did not give any answer to his question.

"Seriously, does any of you know why she wants to kill me?"

Gabriella breathed heavily. "Well, you see… I didn't… I mean… She was… And I was…"

When the smart and mild-mannered Gabriella is nervous, her thoughts are fallen into pieces that she could not manage to arrange one formal sentence. This is one of the situations that her emotions overcome her brains to function.

"I'm sorry." She apologized; her voice was low and was almost a whisper. She looked down for a moment and when she realized that Troy was looking at her with confusion, she looked back at him too. "I didn't mean to do it, I swear."

"What do you mean, Gabriella?" Troy asked her calmly.

"Do you remember the letter you made yesterday?" it was Taylor. Troy turned to her waiting for her to finish her sentence while trying to remember about a letter. "You know, the one that contains your secret about…" she paused and looked around them. "Sharpay." She finished.

Slowly, he remembered writing a letter. Actually, it wasn't supposed to be a letter but a note he wanted to keep for himself.

_Yesterday, during Homeroom period with Mrs. Darbus, when Sharpay was called in front of the class to present her project, Troy stared at the beauty of Sharpay. Then, out of his own will, he started writing on a piece of paper on his desk. As if his hands has its own life._

_Sharpay, you have the most angelic face I have ever seen in my entire existence. – Troy._

_He remembered writing it but not meaning for her to get it. Writing was one of his favorite thing to do that no one knows about. Most of the time, when he's alone, he would write on his private journal about his everyday thoughts, friends, school life, social life, and mostly - Sharpay, the "Ice Princess". Sharpay sits beside him and always complain about it. So, when she was finished presenting her project, she quickly went back to her sit next to Troy._

"_Writing a love letter, Bolton? How lame!" she told him and to Troy's surprise by the sudden appearance of the blonde girl sitting back to her chair, he quickly folded the paper, placed it on his chemistry book, and turned to the next presenter that Mrs.__ Darbus__ had called and pretended to listen._

_Troy mentally noted to himself to never let any of his friends see the note he had written during homeroom period, especially to Chad. Luckily, none of his friends found out about it. Unfortunately, chemistry subject came in last._

_Troy, Chad, and Taylor were grouped together while Gabriella was grouped with Sharpay and Ryan Evans much to her dismay. Their table is just behind Sharpay's group and while working on their science experiment, Troy couldn't resist of staring at Sharpay. Unconsciously, Troy was turning his book in random pages and when Sharpay smirked at him, he suddenly stopped turning the pages of his book and quickly grabbed the test tube with Methanol in it._

_Ryan was not in the table at that moment because he was at the laboratory custodian just opposite their classroom, to ask for a pair of test tubes and medicine dropper, leaving Sharpay and Gabriella behind._

"_Montez," she called at Gabriella who turned to her. "I'm going to the rest room. Wait for Ryan here and make sure everything's okay in here, okay?" it wasn't a request and Gabriella knew that. It was a command telling her to do what she is told._

_Unwillingly, Gabriella nodded and sighed at the fact that she'll be working alone with their project._

_Chad, on the other hand, caught a sight of a folded paper on the turned page on Troy's chemistry book. Curiously, he put the Bunsen burner down and unfolded the paper. Chad's face was painted with wide, malicious grin._

"_Sharpay, you have the most angelic face I have ever seen in my entire existence." Chad read the letter on Troy's ear in a whispering manner so that only he could hear it._

_Troy quickly turned to Chad with great surprise. His eyes widened as Chad's grin grew wider by the minute, as if teasing him about the letter. "Give me that!" he hissed but Chad held up high the paper as if it was a ball that Troy must steal from his grip._

_Luckily, their professor was surrounded by a group of students with many questions that he could not see the two of them goofing around in his class._

_The two of them were almost playing basketball when Chad hit Taylor who almost dropped the cylinder she was holding and scolded her friends. "Will you two stop it?" she snapped. "What the hell is that? Give me that!" but without any replies from either Chad or Troy, she snatched the piece of paper from Chad's hand and read it. A perfect 'O' was formed in her lips and covered it with her hands afterwards. "Gabriella!" she hissed, calling to Gabriella._

"_Later, Tay. I'm working on something." She replied._

_Chad was trying to hold back Troy with all his might upon getting back the paper from her._

_Taylor went to Gabriella's table while hearing Troy saying "Taylor, give me that back" almost pleading. "Look what I got." She told her and handed Gabriella the piece of paper._

_Gabriella accepted the paper and read it. Just like Taylor, a perfect 'O' was formed in her lips as she covered it with her hands. Both of them seemed to be excited as they both giggled together._

"_I thought I told you to make sure everything's okay in here?" Sharpay's voice came in. Both Taylor and Gabriella stopped giggling and turned to her. Her hand on her hips while the other one was dangling freely on her side. "This isn't your table, McKessie!" she snapped at Taylor who quickly went back to where her group mates are._

_Gabriella unconsciously placed the piece of paper to Sharpay's chemistry book by mistake. She intended to place it on hers but ended up placing it on Sharpay's. Ryan followed soon after with a pair of test tubes and medicine dropper in hand._

"I was supposed to put it in my book but I have mistakenly and unwantingly put it in hers. I'm really, really sorry, Troy." Gabriella bit her lip while apologizing to him.

Now, a third rule has been added to their list. Never, under any circumstances, give Sharpay a note (or a love letter) if you don't want to have your nose to be broken with a thick chemistry book (or worse, be killed).

**anyways, if you find it interesting, please submit a review. this is just the first chapter. toodles ;)**


	2. What's Next?

**This chapter sucks. Really! Sorry if I disappointed you with this one. Forgive me. I was distracted by the noise of our neighbor when I was doing this chapter. I'll make it up to you.**

**I don't own High School Musical. ****Also, I do not own 'Once On This Island' and 'Les Miserables' (musical plays that I mentioned in this chapter).**

**Hold your questions (with regards to Once On This Island) for the next chapter. ;)**

**Anyways, this chapter is where Sharpay starts acting weird.**

**If you like it, please review. Thanks. ;)**

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"You _can't_ avoid her forever, Troy!" was Gabriella's only sentence for the rest of the week. Troy had been avoiding Sharpay since the 'I swear I'm going to _kill_ you, Bolton' incident. Troy feared for his life, it's Sharpay Evans who told him that and not just a bunch of bullies.

_Even bullies are afraid of her._ Were his thoughts, reminding him of the day he saw Sharpay spank the heads of three young men who looked like bullying Ryan in the parking lot. She was throwing everything she picks up while screaming at the top of her lungs with 'leave my twin brother alone or I'll kick your asses off at East High you morons' paired with evil eyes. But being _the_ Sharpay Evans everyone knew at East High, she got them expelled after a few days.

Troy sighed repeatedly since Gabriella had been using this line before and after their classes starts. It was a Friday morning and Troy was sitting right next to Gabriella once again. "And I can't cover up for you anymore. You've been sitting right next to me since the day Sharpay told you she was going to kill you." She continued muttering under her breath. "You know I never lied, Troy."

"I know." Troy muttered back. "And I know you're uncomfortable telling 'lies' to Mrs. Darbus, but wouldn't it be much more disturbing if one day you'll find out that I've been murdered by…" he glanced at Sharpay's direction who seemed to be ordering Ryan to write. "_her_!" and nodded his head towards her direction.

Gabriella merely looked at the Evans' twins' direction, and then turned to Troy. Her eyebrow rose. "Seriously, Troy." She started. "Sharpay? She'll never do that to you. I mean, she'll never actually _kill_ anyone just because of a love letter –"

"It wasn't a love letter. Just a note."

"Fine!" Gabriella exhaled. "A note. Sharpay wouldn't kill you just because of that. Troy, be more sensible, will you?"

"I _am_ being sensible, Gabriella." Troy defended himself. "You know I'm sane. But Sharpay?" he put up his arms in air as if surrendering in the middle of war. "She's insane."

"Yes, Mr. Bolton?" called out Mrs. Darbus. Apparently, his right arm was higher than the other one. Both Troy and Gabriella looked in their teacher's direction, Troy's eyes widened upon seeing Sharpay's dagger look on him, standing beside Mrs. Darbus. He shortly put down his arms. "You volunteered?"

"Uhm…"

"Oh, please. Mrs. Darbus!" Sharpay rolled her eyes while turning to Mrs. Darbus. "Bolton? He doesn't know anything. He's just a stupid basketball headed boy!" she stated as the whole class began laughing at Troy, except for Chad, Taylor, and Gabriella.

"Hey, I'm more than that!" he answered back but was taken aback instantly.

Sharpay shot him another pair of dagger eyes. Her arms crossed. "Really, Bolton? What do you know aside from basketball?" her tone was challenging. When Troy failed to answer at once, a sharp grin formed on Sharpay's lips.

Troy tried opening his mouth but no sound came out so he decided to close it. He looked at Gabriella hoping for help but she just shrugged her shoulders.

"So, any other volunteers?" Mrs. Darbus asked the whole class but no one raised a hand except for Ryan Evans.

"Pick Ryan, Mrs. Darbus." Sharpay almost had the tone that she wasn't demanding. She was smiling excitedly, her hands together as if wishing something to come true.

Mrs. Darbus shook his head. "You've been working together since…ever!" Mrs. Darbus told her and Sharpay nodded.

"That's why it's easier to work with Ryan, Mrs. Darbus."

"No." Mrs. Darbus still shook her head in disagreement. "I want something new for a change, Ms. Evans." She trailed off, looking to Troy's direction. Sharpay and Ryan looked at each other in confusion. "Mr. Bolton, you're paired with Ms. Evans here, while Mr. Evans will work with Ms. Montez."

Sharpay's and Troy's jaw dropped open as they looked at each other's faces. "Him? I _can't _work with him! Mrs. Darbus, this is a major suicide for my career!" She exclaimed, her arms wide open.

"Now, now, Ms. Evans. I'm sure you'll do better together with Mr. Bolton." Mrs. Darbus told her calmly. "Now, get back to your respected seats." Her tone was ending their discussion. "Next, who will pair with…" she looked at her list.

Sharpay started marching off towards her vacant seat. "YOU ARE NOT IN MY SHOW, BOLTON!" she screamed, pointing her finger to Troy's direction. She sat back on her chair with a thud on her desk as she punched it with her palms.

'What?' Troy mouthed in confusion, to Gabriella who smiled at him. "You look happy. I'm scared with that smile."

Instead, Gabriella continued to giggle. The kind of giggle that Troy knew too well. The kind of giggle that underlines her words. The kind of giggle that silently teases him. Gabriella has always been his best friend. Aside from Chad and Taylor, only Gabriella has the kind of _sixth sense_ when it comes to some matters that he couldn't discuss with Chad.

"_Maybe she likes you back." Gabriella concluded. They were at her place right after Sharpay warned him that she would kill him. While Chad and Taylor were busy playing dominoes, Gabriella was preparing snacks for them in the kitchen with Troy._

"_Yeah. I'm sure she does." He replied looking at the cookies Gabriella had made. "She likes to _kill_ me!"_

_Gabriella laughed a bit. "Troy, don't be silly. We both know she wouldn't do that."_

"_Have you seen her eyes?" he asked her, holding Gabriella in both arms, making her to face him with cookies on her hands. "She has the eyes of the devil, Gabriella. I swear, if I'd stare at her eyes longer, my soul would be rotten right now." His eyes were wide with his own imagination._

_Gabriella laughed more. "Troy! Listen to yourself." She suggested. "You just said in that letter -"_

"_Note."_

"_- note." She corrected herself as well. "That she has the most angelic face you have ever seen and now you're understating that she's a demon?" she asked him, Troy looked blankly at her. "And would __you please let go now? Your grips are becoming tighter by the minute and I don't want to literally die in your arms, Troy."_

"_Oh." As Troy came to his realization, he let go of his grip to his best friend. "Sorry. I was, uh, carried away."_

"_That's okay." Gabriella answered as she poured orange juice on each glass and put them all in one tray. "Just be sure to never do that again."_

_He nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He saluted and they both went into the living room to join Taylor and Chad._

"You really think she likes me?" he asked Gabriella after homeroom as they both walk in the hallway towards their locker area. Gabriella looked lost in thoughts that she missed Troy's words. "Gabriella?" he called to the spaced-looking Gabriella when he noticed she was lost in thought. He snapped a finger on her face.

"Whoa?" she faced him. And before he could say a word, hers came first. "Troy, I think you're dead." She told him and before Troy could ask a question, she pointed her finger to someone. "Again." She continued.

He turned to where Gabriella was pointing. To his horror, he saw Sharpay's angry look. Her eyes were fastened to him and he gulped. "Oh. My. God! My killer." He whispered under his breath. "Let's head back." He told Gabriella and they both made an about-face turn.

"HOLD IT, BOLTON!" Sharpay called out. Both Troy and Gabriella froze in silence, waiting for Sharpay. "Turn around, morons!" she ordered them and they both turned to see her.

"Y-yes?" it was Troy. His voice was trembling. Sharpay raised an eyebrow. "Look, Sharpay. About this morning, I really didn't mean to –"

"Five thirty, at my house!" she cut him off.

"Huh?"

"Are you stupid, Bolton?"

He shook his head.

"Be there on time if you want to save your neck, got that?" her eyebrow still raised, eyeing him dangerously while putting her right hand on her hips.

He nodded in agreement and Sharpay slowly vanished from his sight. And with a great sigh, he turned to Gabriella who hadn't had the chance to say a single word.

"Gabriella." A voice came in from where Sharpay was standing a while ago. They turned to the owner of the voice.

"Ryan." She squeaked to the blonde boy, with his signature hat, standing right in front of them.

He nodded to Troy to acknowledge his presence before turning back to Gabriella. "About our project," he started.

"Oh, I've started researching about the musicale." She said. But I don't have my copy with me. I ran out of ink." She said apologetically.

Ryan nodded. "That's fine. I also have started researching, here." He handed him his own brown envelope. "Well, I need to get going before Sharpay freaks out looking for me. Bye." He told them and with just a smile from Gabriella and Troy, he vanished to where Sharpay had disappeared.

Troy looked at Gabriella, sending her a malicious smile.

Gabriella turned to him. "What?" she asked.

Troy gave her a wider grin.

"Seriously, Troy. What?" she asked, almost bursting into laughter as Troy's grin grew wider on his face. "You look like a retard. Stop it." She informed him jokingly as she took a step ahead of him.

"You like him, don't you?" he teasingly asked her behind her ears.

"What?" she exclaimed as they both made a turn towards their math class.

"You like Ryan!"

Gabriella stopped from walking and faced Troy. "You know, I almost believe that you are a sane person, Troy. But hearing you say those words? I think you're as insane as your precious Sharpay." She told him teasingly and went into their math class.

* * *

Troy walked through the gates of the Evans' manor. He was instructed by Sharpay to go to their house by five-thirty that day. Soon as the security guard knew who he was, he opened the iron gate for him to pass. Newly trimmed grass surrounds the cemented driveway he was walking in. It was a European style manor.

"Mr. Bolton?" he butler asked, waiting for him at the entrance door. He nodded. "This way, then." He assisted him as they entered the manor's wide spaced living room. Upon entering the Evans' living room, he felt like he was in a castle. "Lady Sharpay would be joining you in a while." The butler added as two maids dressed in a black uniform with white aprons appeared before the butler. One was holding a tray with chocolate cake, while the other one holds a tray with orange juice.

"Anything more, Mr. Bolton?" the maid who served him with a slice of chocolate cake asked.

Troy shook his head. "N-no. These are fine, thank you."

The two maids, including the butler, went out of the room and headed back to their own chores in the kitchen. Troy was left alone in the living room. He wondered through his eyes. The chandelier was enormous. Just below the grand stairs of the manor, lies a piano.

As much as he hesitated, he went towards the piano and started playing the keys of it. He closed his eyes and hummed to the melody of the piece he was playing. He was lost in deep thoughts. He imagined him and Sharpay together where the sky is of their reach.

"Well, well, well." Came Sharpay's voice behind him.

Troy looked back at her. "Uhm." Was all he could mutter.

"I didn't know you could play a piece, Bolton." Sharpay acknowledge him with a smirk, handing him a piece of paper, while walking towards the carpeted living room. Sharpay grabbed a pillow from the large sofa, put it in the carpeted floor, and sat on it. Troy did the same thing, sitting just across her.

"Les Miserables of Victor Hugo has been picked by my brother as his project with Montez." She told him flatly.

Troy looked at her, unaware of the things Sharpay had mentioned.

"That would be our project." She told him while looking at her own copy.

Troy looked down to the papers he was holding. "Once on this Island?"

Sharpay nodded. "It's a musical." She replied shortly. "Written by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty. The musical is actually good. It's a story retelling Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid with a bit of Romeo and Juliet in it." She stopped talking and looked at Troy's amused faced. She frowned at the site of his face. "What's with the shit face, Bolton?" she asked him, her tone changing from informative to irritated.

"Well… Uhm… See…" he uttered words not completing any sentence.

"You don't have any idea of what you've gotten into, do you?" she asked in a tone that she obviously knew what his answer would be.

Troy cleared his throat. "I-it's not that. You see,"

"What?" she cut-in, one eyebrow raised. "See? This is why," she started standing up from where she was sitting. Troy watched her. "I don't like you in my show, Bolton! With you, in this project, will ruin _my_ career!" she almost shrieked.

Troy stood up most immediately; instinctively, he held Sharpay's hands before she could grab anything else and hit it to his face. One almost-broken nose is enough for him for the week, and having his face smashed into pieces is too much to deal with.

"LET ME GO, BOLTON!" she warned him, eyeing him with a pair of sharp eyes.

"No way, Sharpay!" he told her, trying hard to control Sharpay. "An almost-broken nose is enough for the week. And you acting like this sends chills throughout my body." He informed her without really intending to voice it out.

Sharpay's body became calm. "Really?" she asked innocently.

Troy nodded and let go of her hands.

"Good!" Sharpay's evil eyes are back on her face. "Because you really should be _scared_ you moron!" she added through gritted teeth and started to punch Troy's arms which he find so brutal of her. Yet, it was still _her _punch that touches his very skin.

"Shar…pay!"

"I really, really hate you and you'd be dead before you could even step out of my house you stupid, basketball freak!" she continuously yell at him as punching him harder.

And much to Troy's and Sharpay's amazement, the next minutes they spent together was in complete silence. Sharpay was shocked by the unexpected event that had happened between them. Troy was more in shock at this state.

He was holding Sharpay's hand. Not only that their bodies are close to each other but their lips are as well! They were… _kissing_! It was unexpected and unplanned. He could feel Sharpay stiffened by that kiss. None of them knew how they ended up kissing each other.

After a minute or so, Sharpay pushed Troy away and unintentionally, kicked his groin. He was on the ground, holding his manhood in agony.

"Y-you…" Sharpay pointed a finger on Troy. She scratched her head irritably and went to Troy's side. She helped Troy up to his feet and made him sit on their sofa. "You know, that's what you get for being a pervert!" she told him, but Troy was too weak to speak for himself. "MARTHA! JEFFRY!" she called to their household helpers who ran to her call out.

The fourth rule was then born and it says: Never try shutting up Sharpay with a kiss. (Or else, say goodbye to your precious manhood).

_I got my nose almost broken by Sharpay and now this. What's next?_ Troy asked himself, still holding his manhood in the middle of his suffering.

* * *

**Just something to share: I was once a part of the play _Once On This Island_ in our school two years ago so I mentioned it here since I was reminiscing my theater life the night I was also doing this chapter. ;) And _Les Miserables_ was the first musical play I have watched (not in Broadway, though) back when I was in high school. ;)**


	3. Hitler

**Okay, I'm really sleepy now and this chapter is so not good and I know you think that way too and I understand it and I really wish you could leave a review and I hope I can be more of a creative writer and yeah, I figured out that I keep using the grammatical conjunction 'and'. ;)**

**I wrote this for like forty minutes and uploaded it at once so that i could update this story because the original was accidentally deleted by my brother so i have to re-think for this whole chapter..  
**

**anyways, please Read and Review. ;)**

**I do NOT own HSM**

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Sharpay was marching around in her luxurious bedroom, biting her nails uncontrollably and unconsciously. It was nighttime and tomorrow shall be Monday, which means she would see Troy. _That stupid basketball freak_! Her thoughts ranted. When she couldn't control her temper anymore, she threw the first thing she grabbed. Fortunately, it wasn't her blower or else she would be as mad as hell; it was just her math book.

Ryan rushed into her in an instant. "Shar?" he called out nervously from her bedroom door. Sharpay looked at her as Ryan found her near her balcony. On his way towards her, he could see the doorknob of her drawer knocked down by the force Sharpay used to throw her book. "What happened to you?" he asked, as he gets nearer to his twin sister.

Sharpay looked at her with innocence and tears almost occupying her eyelids, still biting her nails.

"Anyone annoyed you again?" he asked again.

"Bolton!" she told him, her face crumpled in between her hands as she started marching angrily again.

"What? What do you mean _Bolton_?" Ryan asked in confusion, following his sister's march. "What did that Wildcat boy did to you? He's afraid of you, isn't he?"

She nodded. "That wildcat boy isn't much of a _wild cat_, Ry!" she told him as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe. She sighed before speaking again, and before Ryan could even make a follow-up question. "That scaredy-cat just…" she couldn't say the word. She picked up one of her pillows, put it in her face, and screamed to her heart's content.

"He… what?" he asked as soon as Sharpay put the pillow out of her face and embraced it as tight as she could.

Pictures of him kissing her makes her so much angry that her embrace to the pillow turned into a savage grip. Subconsciously, she was tearing the pillow and the pillowcase with her own hands as if it was Troy Bolton. "_I'm gonna kill that stupid basketball freak_!" she shrieked.

"Shar…" Ryan's hands came. He was calming his twin by caressing her arms. And when he could feel that Sharpay had relaxed, he gently took the torn pillow out of her hands and threw it somewhere. "Calm down. Relax. Breathe in, breath out." He instructed her and Sharpay did what she was told. "Feeling better?" Sharpay nodded. "Now, tell Ryan what did that, err, stupid Bolton basketball geek did to you that it is necessary for you to kill him." His voice was as though it belonged to a hypnotizer.

"He…" Sharpay started. "Kissed me." She finally muttered the word.

Ryan looked surprised, his eyes wide open, as his jaws were dropped dead upon hearing those words. "He… WHAT?" he screamed right after realizing what his twin sister just told him. "THAT FREAKIN' BASKETBALL HEAD GUY _KISSED_ YOU?"

"Hey! That's my thing, quit the act." Sharpay snapped at him with eyebrow raised and a hand on her waist.

"I was, uh, carried away." He defended himself. "Anyway, what are you gonna do about it?"

She heard her twin's question but didn't mind answering him. "I don't know." She answered after what seemed like a minute of deep thinking. Ryan's shoulders dropped and sat to his sister's bed. "But I really want to kill him at this point."

Ryan sighed and lay down on his sister's bed. Both shared a silent moment. Sharpay slowly walking around her own bed and Ryan staring at Sharpay's ceiling painted in pastel pink. "Do you really want to kill your first kiss, Shar?"

"Shut up!" Sharpay snapped at her brother and went to her bed. Sharpay's face came into Ryan's view in an upside-down manner, blocking his view of her own pink-pastel colored ceiling. "Do you know how pissed I am for having Bolton as my first kiss, Ryan?" her twin shook his head. "Do you know how that kiss would ruin _me_, Ryan?" again, he shook his head. "Then shut the hell up!"

Ryan shook his head once more. Sharpay frowned as Ryan rose from her bed, facing her. "Killing your first kiss would be the _most_ horrifying story I'd ever known in my entire existence as Ryan Evans, Shar." He informed her. "Still, the most unique of all. So, go ahead. Kill Bolton with a gun. Let's order one with a silencer and while Bolton is giving his speech at the preliminary basketball match as the team captain, you can just shoot him and let everyone know that Hitler has been reincarnated in the form of Sharpay Evans." He suggested sarcastically, hoping to make a sense on Sharpay's head.

Sharpay's lip pouted as if she was hurt by what Ryan had told her. "Ryan, how could you?"

Ryan looked at her with confusion.

"My hair is on my head and Hitler's hair was all over his face, how could you compare me with a person who didn't know the existence of hair shampoo and hair salon?"

Ryan mouthed a 'what' at his twin. He scratched his head and turned to Sharpay. "The point is," he cleared his throat. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came, while Sharpay was waiting for him to finish. "Well, I don't have a point." He declared. "But you must think thoroughly about you wanting to kill, poor basketball freak, Bolton. Okay?"

Sharpay nodded her head in agreement and Ryan kissed her forehead as his own way of saying 'good night' to his twin sister.

And not less than a minute before Ryan had shut the door, he was back in his sister's room. "And Adolf Hitler doesn't have hairs all over his face. I guess you're referring to Leonardo da Vinci."

* * *

"What happened to you?" Gabriella asked Troy Monday morning as they are both walking to the hallway of East High. "I thought you'll catch up last Friday night? We were waiting for you."

"Yeah. To think you didn't even call us last Saturday and Sunday." Taylor reminded him.

"Guys, I'm sorry. I had some issues."

"Issues?" Taylor and Gabriella synchronized, looking unbelievably at their friend.

"Guys!" Chad called out from behind them and run towards their direction. "Hey, man. Good to see you alive. I thought you'd be six feet under by now."

Troy gave him a sarcastic smile. "Thank you for your concern."

"No worries, man."

The first bell rang. The four of them hurried to their respective classroom. Troy sat beside Gabriella as they waited for Mrs. Darbus to enter their classroom. He glanced at the two empty chairs where the Evans' twins should be sitting. He can't help but wonder why they aren't here yet. They were never late in any of their subjects.

Mrs. Darbus came in first, followed by Ryan and Sharpay. Troy got a glimpse of Sharpay eyeing him sharply as ever, and then turned to his desk at once. "Attendance!" Mrs. Darbus called out and the students settled down.

But Ryan was standing beside Troy. "Hey, I think we need to switch places now." He told Troy.

"Huh?" he was startled and looked to Gabriella's direction for help. But she just shrugged her shoulders and started fake-reading her book. He looked upon Sharpay's direction and much to his surprise; she was looking back at him too. "Can we…"

"Bolton, Gabriella and I still need to discuss about our project. So, can you go back to where you're supposed to be seated now?" he asked him almost asking a request.

"But… Sharpay, she…"

"Mr. Evans, Mr. Bolton." Called out Mrs. Darbus and both guys looked at her. "What's the matter?"

"Mrs. Darbus, I wanted to go back to my own sit now and I think Mr. Bolton is enjoying himself with Gabriella." Ryan told him. "Besides, Mrs. Darbus, isn't three days enough for Mr. Bolton to be occupying one's seat?"

"But, Mrs. Darbus…"

"I agree, Mrs. Darbus." Sharpay's hand was raised and when she was acknowledged, she put down her hands. "You see, if Bolton could sit wherever he wants to sit even if you had given us the sitting arrangement, doesn't it mean that he's opposing your decisions for the class?"

"No, I'm not… It's ju—"

"Besides, Mrs. Darbus, how can one country live in harmony without rules and regulations?" Ryan cut-in with his dramatic way of declaring his words as if he was in a play. "Doesn't one who does not comply with rules and regulations need to be," she shrugged his shoulders before finishing his sentence. "_Punished_?"

"But, Mrs. Darbus, she…"

"I agree, Mrs. Darbus." Sharpay's voice came in, avoiding Troy to defend himself. "Besides, you're our teacher yet Bolton seemed to be enjoying himself not to _obey_ your _simple_ rules and regulations."

"But… But…"

"Alright, Mr. Bolton. Back to your seat." Mrs. Darbus told him and he could see the evil grin Sharpay was displaying right before his eyes. Ryan was looking at him. Troy did not move for a while. "Well, Mr. Bolton?" Mrs. Darbus called out to him. "Unless you want a detention –"

Troy stood from his sit, giving Ryan his will to sit right next to Gabriella. He hesitantly sat right next to Sharpay. He knew that she's still hysterical about him kissing her. And kissing her definitely made him fear her much more because kissing her means saying goodbye to everything good about being a 

teen-aged guy whose happiness lies within his friends, playing basketball, and unfortunately for him, dreaming about Sharpay Evans, the Ice Princess.

'_Of all the days the twins would join forces against me, why does it have to be Monday? Don't they know that Monday is the first day of every week I spent at East High? That I believe when the start of my school week is bad, the rest of the week will be bad as well?' _he thought. _'Oh man. My school week is totally ruined.' _He looked at Sharpay who was busy writing down what Mrs. Darbus was writing on the blackboard.

"Look away, Bolton." Sharpay told him, still writing down on her notes. "Or else I will definitely _kill_ you!"

Troy looked away at once. _'Oh God. I am so, fuckin' dead!'_


	4. Bulletin Posts

**I really don't know what to say right now. This chapter is for all the TroyPay fans (so, yeah! If you're looking for a TroyElla, you're at the wrong page…sorry)..anyway, I hope you will like this chapter… ;)**

**And in case you're wondering about this whole Homeroom thing – where the students are asked for a project about musicals and with this chapter's content, don't worry, you'll find it out SOON (like two or three more chapters).. ;) you just have to keep reading and reviewing...**

**I don't own High School Musical, any Disney movies, characters, and/or songs…**

**And before anything else, read and ****REVIEW****… ;)**

* * *

It has been a week and Troy was keeping distance from his potential killer in the form of Sharpay. All their conversation was in the form of "look away, Bolton! Or I will slash you with my pen!" – if you could actually call that a conversation. Everywhere Troy would go, Sharpay is just around the corner and he would hide himself within the group of freshmen at East High, or pretend to be friends with strangers outside East High.

"Why don't you just talk to her, Troy?" asked Gabriella one morning, as she was putting her notebook on her locker, and taking out her physics book.

"Are you crazy, Gabriella?" Troy asked back. "Every time I look at her she would just tell me to _'look away or I'll slash you with my pen'_." He added, trying to imitate Sharpay's monotonic and devilish voice.

Gabriella let out another sigh. As she was about to close her locker, Troy poked his head inside it as if he was hiding his face in his pillows. And before Gabriella could ask a word, a voice she knew too well came. "Don't hide yourself in there, Bolton!" he demanded and Gabriella could see how narrowed Sharpay's eyes were as it was pinned on to Troy's direction.

Troy let out his head. "W-who's hiding? I-I-I'm n-n-not h-h-hiding, Sh-Sharpay." He told her, trying to make his voice sound natural, but he obviously failed. He was stuttering even before he could look into Sharpay's eyes and quickly removed it at once.

Sharpay smirked at him. "Y-yeah, B-Bolton! Y-you w-weren't h-hiding!" she imitated him and both Gabriella and Troy exchanged glances. She straightened up and looked at him directly in the eye. "Listen, you stupid basketball freak!" she pointed a finger at him and Troy held up his hands as if he is being robbed. "You better not skip rehearsals today or you'll definitely be six feet under the grounds! Got that?"

"Y-y-yes." He answered instantly then looked at her with surprise. "Wait, what rehearsals are you talking about?" he asked.

'_Big mistake.'_ was written all over Gabriella's face when he turned to her, then back to Sharpay who was eyeing him viciously. He gulped.

"Are you or are you not paying attention during Homeroom class?" she asked, almost snarling. He gulped at shook his head. "Do you read bulletin boards? Or you just pass by it and only stops when you see your face in it?" again, he shook his head.

With this, even Gabriella turned to her with eyes narrowed. "TROY BOLTON, YOU ARE SO DEAD!" they both scolded him and awkwardly faced each other and looked away in an instant.

"Don't you know how important a bulletin board is?" Gabriella asked him.

"Do you even know that bulletin boards _do_ exist?" it was Sharpay.

"Don't you know that everything you need to know about school is on the bulletin board?" it was Gabriella again.

"Do you have any idea how miserable your life is without a bulletin board?" it was Sharpay again.

And all that he could manage was to shook his head and step backwards as the two girls are stepping forward towards him.

"Are you even a student, Troy?"

"Or your only concern is that basketball thing you have, Bolton?"

"Troy, I can't believe you!"

"I don't understand why God made you, Bolton."

"I told you to read the bulletin board every day, Troy!"

"And I still don't see why I should put you in my show, Bolton!"

"Honestly, Troy! Be a student, will you?"

"And be more aware that East High doesn't only exist for basketball, Bolton!"

"And for the millionth time, there is so much more than _BASKETBALL, TROY BOLTON_!" the two girls scolded him in unison once more as Troy was stopped by the sudden appearance of the wall on his back.

"Whoa! Are we missing something here?" came Chad's voice. The three of them turned to the African-American boy who was wearing his red Wildcats' jacket; in his left arm was their game ball, and on his right was Taylor's arm wrapped in his.

"What's happening here?" asked the confused-looking Taylor.

"Ask him!" both Gabriella and Sharpay answered in unison once more, pointing to Troy's direction. They quickly gave each other a glimpse and the African-American couple looked strangely at them. Chad was the first one to look to Troy's direction who was still shocked at Gabriella and Sharpay scolding him.

"What's up with them, Troy?" Chad asked him, stepping closer to him.

"Well, you see…" he started. He looked at his companions, Gabriella and Sharpay was looking away from each other, Chad was waiting for his response, and Taylor was gazing from either Gabriella and Sharpay, to him, then back to the girls. "It was all the bulletin board's fault!" he blamed it and all the four of them looked at him with amazement.

"Oh, no! You did not just blame the poor bulletin board you freakin' basketball boy!" Sharpay almost roared and together with Gabriella, they took a step closer to Troy.

"But it's true!" he defended himself. "If it wasn't for the bulletin board, you two wouldn't scold me as if you two are my mother!"

Gabriella and Sharpay opened and closed their mouth. They were found speechless by his words for a moment and instead, both the brunette and blonde girl eyed him sharply.

Gabriella shook her head and sighed. "Whatever, Troy."

"Yeah, whatever, Bolton!" Sharpay told him as well and crossed her arms. "Just be sure to show up for rehearsals or you will never see basketball again!" she added before she walked out of their sight. Troy, Chad and Taylor followed her with a gaze until she disappeared from the corner of their eyes.

"What's with the rehearsals?" Troy asked turning to Gabriella, who was looking at the floor.

"Go ask the bulletin board, Troy." She answered him, almost hissing, and vanished to where Sharpay had gone. They all followed her with a gaze.

"What's with the bulletin thing, Troy?" Chad asked, turning to Troy when the bell had rung all over East High.

For the rest of the day, neither Gabriella nor Sharpay was looking or giving a word to Troy. He wasn't comfortable with it. He was always comfortable with Gabriella persuading him to talk to Sharpay; and with Sharpay who always give him a deadly glare while telling him to 'look away, or I will kill you'.

'_Fuck with that stupid bulletin board!'_ he silently cursed in his mind. _'Why did it even existed in the first place? Damn it! Who the fuck even invented the bulletin board?'_

When he tried to approach his best friend, Gabriella, at the end of their chemistry class, his attempt failed. She quickly rushed through the door, just behind Sharpay and next to Ryan. Troy sighed in frustration.

"For the record, Troy." Taylor called out to him and Chad's hand was on his left shoulder. "Just read whatever's on the bulletin board."

Chad nodded in agreement and tapped his shoulders as the couple went out of the classroom as well.

There is only one bulletin board he saw at East High, and it was situated near their Music Room. It was actually the most prominent one because of the banners and glitters around it. He went to see what was posted on the bulletin board.

**AUDITIONS ON-GOING**

**for the**

**Twinkle Towne Musicale**

He shook his head upon seeing the first bulletin posted. "this is definitely not the reason why Gabriella would be mad at me, but this would be the reason why Sharpay would get mad at me… if I was a part of her Drama Club."

The next one says:

**For Mrs. Darbus' Homeroom class**

**The last set of groupings who will perform the following:**

He read the further notice on that particular bulletin post. He found his name under the first group. "Shoot!" he mumbled to himself. "This must be the reason why Gabriella and Sharpay hated me for not reading the bulletin posts."

**Group 1**

**Bolton, Troy**

**Evans, Ryan**

**Evans, Sharpay**

**Montez, Gabriella**

**Will perform selected scene/s from: **_**Aladdin**_

"Aladdin! Great! Just great!" he sarcastically muttered to himself upon reading the bulletin post. And before he could even remove his eyes on the bulletin board, his eyes caught a sight of his name written in sparkling glittery pen on a pink, and rose scented paper.

_Troy Bolton,_

_You're one day absent from rehearsals! Don't ruin my show because if you do, you know what I'm going to do with you!_

_Toodles, Sharpay._

_P.S. Rehearsals every 5:30 in the afternoon at our mansion._

His list on 'How To Survive A Life With Sharpay Evans' has added another rule: Always check what's on the bulletin board. (Unless you want your best friend to suddenly turn into another form of Sharpay Evans and be murdered twice).

He looked at his wristwatch that reads ten minutes till five-thirty. "Oh, shit!" he ran as fast as he can towards the gates of East High just to be at the Evans' mansion. He still wants to graduate, go to college, and definitely play basketball before he would wish to die.

At exactly one minute till five-thirty, Troy reached the gates of the Evans' mansion and saw not three figures, but four figures, entering the door of the multi-million dollar mansion. Even if he was exhausted, he forced himself to ran towards them and reached Sharpay's shoulder instead of Gabriella's. Panicked, not only did she shrieked in shock but she also punched Troy right in his nose.

Troy was on the grounds, holding his nose in pain as Gabriella and Ryan went beside him. Sharpay looked at her surrounding as if telling herself she didn't do anything. Her hands covering her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

"Oh my God, Troy." Gabriella called out, her voice was worried. "Are you alright?"

"I think so…" he weakly said. When Troy let go of his nose, a small amount of blood was on his index and middle finger.

"Oh, God! Your nose is bleeding!" Ryan declared and helped him stood up.

"Yeah, I can see that." Troy managed to answer upon standing up.

Troy and Sharpay exchanged glances for a moment before entering the mansion. Troy was assisted by Gabriella and Ryan, while Sharpay and the other girl followed them.

"Do you feel better now?" Ryan asked Troy after the bleeding of Troy's nose stopped. It has been twenty minutes past five-thirty and the five of them were at the second floor of the mansion, on their music hall.

Troy nodded. "Yeah, I feel better now. Thanks." He replied and looked at Sharpay.

Sharpay looked back at him. "What?" she asked shortly. Ryan and Gabriella looked at her as well.

"Shar, I think you owe him an apology." Ryan told her.

"WHAT?!" she yelled in disbelief. "I owe nothing to him!"

Ryan opened his mouth but distracted by Troy's sudden interruption. "Yes, you do." He told her shortly. "You owe me an apology for two days of almost being a bed-ridden when we were paired up together because, as you said, you _'accidentally'_ kicked my…" he aired an quote-unquote and suddenly stopped at the faces of Ryan, Gabriella, and the other girl with them as if they were intrigued with his sentence.

Sharpay eyed him fiercely as she bit her lower lip and folded her arms.

"Never mind." He told them and threw his hands in mid-air. "Let's just get this rehearsal thing done."

"The best thing I've heard from you so far, Bolton!" came Sharpay's cold voice and turned to the other girl. "By the way, this is Kelsi. She's Mrs. Darbus' composer for the Twinkle Towne Musicale and I asked for her help because I thought you wouldn't be here today." she explained and he smiled at the girl named Kelsi, who was sitting on a stool behind the piano. "And that's Troy." She told Kelsi who smiled back at him.

Ryan stood up to his twin sister's side. "Recap," he called out for Troy's attention. "Gabriella will be the production assistant, I will be the one providing the costume, Sharpay will play Princess Jasmine, and you'll be Aladdin." He explained to him shortly. "Oh, and Kelsi will be arranging the scores for the music." He added and Kelsi nodded.

"Wait. Why am I playing Aladdin?" Troy asked.

"Why not?" Sharpay asked. "Oh, on second thought!" she turned to Ryan. "Yeah, Ry! Why is Troy playing Aladdin?"

"Would you rather let Troy choose your costumes for you, Sharpay?" Gabriella asked her in a challenging tone of voice.

Sharpay looked from Ryan, then turned to Troy, and back to Ryan once more. "No." she perkily answered. "Troy doesn't know Hollywood and I wouldn't certainly want to look as lame as he is." She added, half-insulting and half-joking.

"Great!" Gabriella squeaked, standing up from her seat with hands closed from clapping her hands once. "Let's get started then."

"Right." Ryan agreed. "Kelsi?"

Kelsi smiled. "With pleasure." She answered, speaking for the first time. "Sharpay, Troy. Please come here and practice your song with me." She requested.

Sharpay went to Kelsi's direction, followed by Troy.

"I assume you're familiar with the song 'A Whole New World'?" Kelsi asked before playing the piano. Sharpay nodded while Troy shook his head.

Everyone looked at him. "I'm not much of a Disney movie fan." Troy told them.

"He's lying. That's actually one of his favorite songs." Gabriella announced them and Troy looked at her, disbelieving. "He's just too shy to sing." She added.

"You can't be that bad, Bolton!" Sharpay said.

Troy breathed deeply as Kelsi started keying the notes on the piano keys and he was waiting for his cue. He closed his eyes as Kelsi was letting him listen to the keys first. On his mind, he pictured 

Sharpay as Princess Jasmine and himself as Aladdin. He imaged the two of them together journeying into another world, escaping the brutal world with the girl of his dreams, enjoying the moment with her, and just plain falling in love with each other.

"Ready, Troy?" he heard Kelsi asked. He just nodded. "In 3… 2… 1." Kelsi counted, just enough for him to hear her and he started singing, imaging the pictures he had made a while ago.

_I can show you the world_

_Shining shimmering splendid_

_Tell me Princess now when did you last let your heart decide?_

_I can open your eyes_

_Take you wonder by wonder_

_Over sideways and under on a magic carpet ride_

_A whole new world_

_A new fantastic point of view_

_No one to tell us 'no'_

_Or where to go_

_Or say we're only dreaming_

And came Sharpay's voice.

_A whole new world_

_A dazzling place I never knew_

_But when I'm way up here it's crystal clear_

_That now I'm in a whole new world with you_

_(Now I'm in a whole new world with you)_

They ended up their practice song there. Ryan, Gabriella and Kelsi were all speechless upon hearing their voices together. They were in complete admiration for both Troy and Sharpay who were looking deeply in each other's eyes from the middle part of their practice song.

When Kelsi, Ryan, and Gabriella clapped their hands, Troy and Sharpay broke into each other's gaze as if they were pulled back from a dream into reality. When the two of them looked away from each other, their three other companions exchanged glances and grinned, as if they understood each other in silence or they were just thinking the same thing towards Troy and Sharpay.

"Mister and Miss Evans, and guests." The five of them turned to Jeffry, the Evans' butler. "Dinner is now ready." He announced.

"Oh, right!" Sharpay almost hissed and walked past Troy. She was almost trembling when her elbow touched Troy's skin. It was as if she was hit by electricity of the lower voltage. She decided to shook it off her head.

"Well, we'll resume the practice after dinner." Ryan announced and escorted both Kelsi and Gabriella out of their Music Room, followed by Troy.

There are two dining rooms known inside the Evans' mansion. The first one is the main dining area with a rectangular dining table with thirty people capacity; and the other one is just near the balcony on the second floor, with a circular table, with a capacity of eight to ten people.

Their dinner was brought upstairs, just like what Ryan had instructed their servants. Different meals were on the circular table. Gabriella was sitting in between Ryan and Troy, Kelsi was beside Sharpay, and Sharpay was sitting next to her twin brother, almost facing Troy's direction.

Both Troy and Sharpay were glancing up at each other in secrecy. Whenever Troy would glance up at Sharpay, he swore he caught a smile on her face – but it was too soon that he thought he was just imagining things. And whenever Sharpay would glance to Troy's direction, she swore she caught him looking in her way.

After dinner, they were offered Black Forest cake for their dessert. Sharpay refused to eat more, and told her companions that she's on a diet in an almost joking manner. She stood up and told them that she'll wait for them in the music room. Troy watched her disappear in the corner of his eyes for the second time this day.

"Troy, what are you still doing here?" Gabriella hissed over her slice of Black Forest cake. Troy merely looked at her, asking her _'what?'_ in silence. "Go right after Sharpay." She told him and wrinkles started forming on his forehead.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed back.

Ryan cleared his throat to get their attention. Troy and Gabriella stopped hissing.

"You know," it was Kelsi. "Troy, I think you need to practice with Sharpay so that you'll both feel at ease when you will be performing your piece during your Homeroom class with Mrs. Darbus." She suggested, although her tone was actually telling him to go right after Sharpay.

"Yeah, Troy." It was Ryan. "Besides, Sharpay wouldn't want her show to be ruined. Because if it gets ruined, you know what she'll do to all of us." His tone was the same with Gabriella and Kelsi. Three against one is really unfair, and so does his fate. He put down his fork and stood up.

"Good luck." He heard Gabriella's excitement in a hiss.

He forced a smiled on his face as he was turning to where Sharpay had vanished. He silently prayed for his life to be saved with Sharpay's after attacks. As he was nearing the door that leads to the music room, he was trembling more and more. He decided to peek first at what Sharpay was doing, because he feared the worse – _I really wish that Sharpay wasn't holding a gun or a knife or anything that she could use to kill me._

A pre-recorded instrumental was being played, he saw Sharpay put her headphones while sitting on a chair and before he knew it, he was hearing her sing again.

_Ooh.. ohh.. (kiss the girl)_

_There you see her_

_Sitting there across the way_

_She don't got a lot to say but there's something about her_

_And you don't know why but you're dying to try you want to kiss the girl._

_Yes you want her_

_Look at her you know you do_

_It's possible she wants you too there's one way to ask her_

_You don't take a word, not a single word go on and kiss the girl_

_Sha la la la la la my oh my looks like the boy's too shy ain't gonna kiss the girl_

_Sha la la la la la ain't that sad …_

She stopped there and sighed deeply. She covered half of her face with her left hand and took off her headphones using her right hand. The pre-recorded instrumental, however, kept on playing. She waited to finish it before turning it off. Troy was left in a daze, as if the song that she just sang was actually meant for him. She doesn't say a lot of words like Gabriella and he's really dying to kiss her – again.

When Sharpay turned around, she was surprised to see him standing there. Troy snapped back to reality. "Uhm, I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here." He muttered. He was actually waiting for her to yell at him, but she was just merely looking at him. "Uhm. Nice – nice song." He said. "You – uhm – you sound really great, Sharpay."

She smirked. "Yeah right." she turned away and sat on a sofa near the piano stand, just behind where she was singing a while ago. Her hands were on her face and she looked disappointed. Troy sat to her side – he's not really sure if it's the right thing to do but he wants to cheer her up or to make her yell at him.

"Hey, that's not the Sharpay I know." He told her, faking a laughing sound but Sharpay just remained silent, still covering her face. "Sharpay…" he called just to get her attention – still, no reaction. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked her as he started touching her hand and removing it from her face.

Sharpay didn't look at him, nor gave a respond. "Look at me." He hissed but she did not do what she was told. "Come on, look at me. It's not hard to do, right?"

Sharpay sighed and gently shoved his hand. "I'm not in the mood for any jokes right now, Bolton." She told him, almost hissing, but her voice still sounded cold and monotonous.

He was studying her face – her lips were painted with pink lip gloss and her cheeks were pink, although he wasn't sure if it's natural or make-up and her eyelashes are curled up. When Sharpay became aware that he was staring at her, she became uncomfortable. "Look away, will you?" she ordered him.

But instead of doing so, Troy leaned closer to her. Sharpay wondered what he was doing and she decided to look at him. His lips were tempting and his eyes reminded her of clear blue skies that she was frozen with where she was sitting.

When Troy was close enough, that it's only a centimeter away and their noses are actually rubbing against each other's. Troy could smell her strawberry flavored lip gloss and Sharpay breathed Troy's Black Forest scent. "Sharpay, will you…" he started as he was leaning slowly but closer to her. "…let me…" just a centimeter more and his lips would be touching her lips again. "…kiss you?" he finished as their lips are colliding with each other.

* * *

**review.. ;)**


	5. Just a Thought

**I have written this months ago but I wasn't really confident with this chapter. And this is on hiatus right now. So sorry to everyone that has been waiting for the update…I'm just loosing the confidence in writing this one…Anyway, please read and review… :)**

**I do NOT own High School Musical.**

**Read and REVIEW (please)…**

* * *

_After a moment of sharing a slow, passionate kiss, Troy and Sharpay broke off from each other and gathered back the air that was lost from them. Their faces were still close at each other that they are both grasping for the same air._

_Troy tried to lean closer and Sharpay was ready to lean closer as well when they have heard the voices of Kelsi, Gabriella, and Ryan getting closer and closer. And without another word, they drew themselves apart from each other and felt awkward with the sudden appearance of their three companions._

"_So, let's get started?" Gabriella squeaked in excitement._

_Troy and Sharpay nodded stiffly._

_After their rehearsals, the twins escorted Troy, Kelsi, and Gabriella to the front door. Ryan offered them a lift. "Oh, I live that way." Gabriella pointed to their west._

"_Same with me." Said Kelsi as Ryan turned to Troy._

"_I live that way." He said shyly, pointing opposite to where Gabriella and Kelsi were pointing._

_Ryan looked at Sharpay who looked back at him blankly. "What?" she asked._

_Ryan sighed. "For a so-called Ice Princess, you're the most dignified one." He told her. "Troy lives that way." He told her and pointed to where Troy was pointing earlier. His tone was giving her the most obvious hint she could ever imagine._

"_Oh." She shortly said. "Yeah, well..." she turned to Troy. "Come on, then." She demanded stiffly and awkwardly. Both the twins have their own cars parked next to each other. Ryan drove his car with Kelsi and Gabriella as her passengers. He was the one who left first._

"_Listen, I can walk home. You d..–"_

"_Catch!" she said as she tossed her car keys to Troy and caught it with his right hand. He looked at her quizzically. "I'll let you drive the car since I don't know where your house is." She said and walked towards the passenger's seat. "Well?" she called out to him._

"_Uhm, oh. Right." He motioned his hands and opened the car. As soon as he was in, he unlocked the door and let Sharpay in. He was driving the car as carefully as he could. They shared an awkward moment of silence once again, neither of them was looking at each other's way._

_Troy stopped the car near a two-storey house painted in white and the ceiling was royal blue in color. The lights on his parents' room was off and the lights on their living room was on, meaning that Troy has just got home in time. "Well, that's our house." He told her and both of them stepped out of the car. "Do you want to come in and meet my parents?" he asked._

_Sharpay looked at Troy's house for a moment then she turned to him. "Maybe next time." She replied nervously._

_Troy nodded. "Okay." He shortly responded and he walked towards their house._

_Sharpay began to walk towards her car as well. And upon reaching for her car door, she felt a pair of hands holding her waist and a head resting on her shoulders. She turned her head and saw Troy's face. Her heart was beating fast and she was sure that before she knew it was Troy, she felt his heart beating fast as well. When he let her go, he made her face him and instantly gave her a kiss that lasted for only seconds._

_Troy looked at her and she was looking back. Both of them are mesmerized by and speechless until Sharpay smiled – a genuine smile that only he saw for the first time. He was relieved to see her smiling._

"_You're really something else, Bolton." She hissed jokingly._

_He nodded. "Yeah." He said and gave her a light kiss. "Well, good night."_

"_Good night."_

--

Troy was happily walking at the hallways of East High and greeting "good morning" to everyone he sees. Out of nowhere, he started humming the song 'A whole new world'. He wanted to share to his friends what happened, he wanted them to know that finally, he's one step closer to becoming Sharpay's boyfriend – his dream girl. But his friends are not on their lockers, where he usually sees them. He decided to look for them.

He passed through their Homeroom class, but none of his friends are there. He continued walking and passed several empty classrooms. On the corner part of the hallway were two brown doors that he hadn't seen before. On one of the doors was a post – the same thing he saw in the bulletin board. It was an announcement for the auditions for Twinkle Towne.

He was intrigued on what lies beneath the doors. He checked the time on his wrist watch. "Ten minutes past seven." He read. He still have twenty fifteen minutes to spend before he could enter his Homeroom class. He reached for the door knob, but before he could even touch it, the door flew open and it revealed the figure of Sharpay Evans who looks surprised to see him.

She studied the whole place and when she was sure that no one was there except Troy and her, she pulled Troy and closed the door. Troy was awed by the chairs coated in velvet color and a stage in front it. No doubt, it was a theatre.

"What are you doing here?" Sharpay hissed, pulling Troy's attention to her.

"I was looking for my friends." He answered.

She nodded. "Well, at least you came up to me first." She said and he looked at her with uncertainty. "Listen, the thing about... us – kissing," she started and Troy was slightly taken aback. "I don't want anyone to know about it." She finished. "Can you promise me that?" she asked.

"But, why?"

Sharpay looked like she was having a hard time looking for words to explain it to him. "Because I don't want to!" she said shortly. "It's not that I'm ashamed of it. It's just that, I'm not comfortable 

with the public knowing about my personal life." She explained to him. "Look, I know you wouldn't understand, but –"

"I understand." He cut her off for the first time and Sharpay fell silent. "Don't worry, I won't tell a word." He said, half-heartedly. He was disappointed and felt crushed all the same, but hearing Sharpay saying that she wasn't comfortable with the public knowing about her personal life is something he could try to understand.

"Troy, I –"

"No, actually, I don't understand." He told her and Sharpay was looking confused. "But I'll try. So, don't worry. I won't say a word. I promise." He reassured her.

They spent the whole day looking awkwardly at each other – Troy was trying to act cool in front of everybody while Sharpay couldn't try yelling or barking or cursing at Troy unlike before. Troy couldn't figure out why Sharpay wouldn't want anyone know about them kissing. And as much as he would want to know, his promise to her that he'll try to understand her keeps him from doing so.

In most cases of the celebrities, they try being "showbiz" upon telling the public that they are just friends who are going out and watching movies or eating dinners at a fine restaurant together. But they are not celebrities of Hollywood – they are just the "popular ones" at East High.

'_Maybe Sharpay thinks she needs to act as one of the celebrities in Hollywood as early as now.' _He concluded class after class. He gave a quick glance at Sharpay who was two seats apart from him before turning back to their professor in History class. Thank God Sharpay wasn't looking at him or else she might have rolled her eyes on him when she caught him. _'Right. I'll just try to talk to her later during rehearsals.'_

--

At the end of the day, Troy, together with Gabriella and Kelsi, were back on the Evans' mansion for rehearsals. He couldn't still find a time to talk to Sharpay for she was busy rehearsing with Kelsi about perfecting her pitch, Ryan was on the kitchen telling their servants on what to prepare for their snacks, dinner, and desert; and Troy was left to give a hand to his best friend, Gabriella, on making their props.

"I still can't figure out why we're doing singing and acting and dancing for homeroom." Troy heard Gabriella nag about their so-called project on Mrs. Darbus' class. "I mean, we should be doing some research about – err – home economics, or something, right?"

"Uh, y-yeah. Sure, Gabriella." Troy answered, not really paying attention to any of her protests as of the moment. His eyes were focused on Sharpay who was repeating her part on their duet.

"We should be learning about recipes of other countries' delicacies, right?" he heard her again.

"Uh, y-yeah. Sure, Gabriella." He answered again.

"We're not even taking up 'Theatre 101' so why are we even doing a project which is something like that?" she complained once again.

"Uh, y-yeah. Sure, Gabriella."

Gabriella stopped from complaining when he heard Troy's response. His 'Uh, y-yeah. Sure, Gabriella' wasn't really helping at her protests right now. She looked at him as gently as possible so she couldn't  detect her. No doubt, her instinct was right. Troy was secretly glancing at Sharpay and this made her smile – a kind of smile that Sharpay would wear if she's filled with all her evil-ness. She decided to play with him.

"Acting is not our thing, right Troy?" she asked, making her voice sound like her previous complaints.

"Uh, y-yeah. Sure, Gabriella." Troy said again.

"But Ryan and Sharpay are good at it so it's no wonder why the twins love doing this project, right?"

"Uh, y-yeah. Sure, Gabriella."

Gabriella smiled again. "And even if you know you'll be singing with Sharpay in front of everyone at East High, you will still enjoy it because you _will_ be singing with Sharpay and that's all that matters, right Troy?" Troy was starting to say his 'Uh, y-yeah. Sure Gabriella' once again when Gabriella continued on with her devious smile on her face. "That in not less than a week, you'll be signing up for the Twinkle Towne's auditions with Sharpay, right? And that even if your career with the rest of East High will be put to jeopardy, you'll still pick Twinkle Towne and be with Sharpay, right Troy?"

"Uh, y-ye... Huh?!" Troy looked suddenly lost upon absorbing everything Gabriella was telling him. He turned to her. "Gabie, you know how much I love being on the team. What made you think I'd put it into jeopardy? And you know that I'm only doing _this_ because it's our _homeroom project_." He explained.

Gabriella was bursting into laughter, trying hard to control it though. "Uh, y-yeah. Sure, Troy!" she imitated him and continued laughing at her.

"Ha-ha! Funny, Gabriella!"

Gabriella doesn't care more about Troy's sarcasm at that moment. All she cares about was how entertaining Troy can be for her during that time. "You know, Troy. You really amaze me when it comes to your _beloved _Wildcat team and to your _one great love, _Sharpay." She told him.

"Was that suppose to be a joke? Or a sarcasm?" he asked in confusion. Gabriella merely shrugged her shoulders as she was coloring her art paper with red paint. "You know, Gabie, sometimes I don't get what you really want to tell me."

"Troy, I'm just but one equation in geometry!"

"Oh, I see." He answered. "Now I know why I really don't understand you sometimes." He told her and both of them just laughed at it.

"Troy!" Sharpay called from the piano stand, sitting right beside Kelsi, as Ryan entered the music room. Both Troy and Gabriella turned to her. "Let's practice the song." She told him in a not-really sweet tone – it was more of a command actually.

"Okay." He answered back. He turned to Gabriella. "Gotta go practice." He told her as he started making his way towards Sharpay.

Ryan sat next to Gabriella, where Troy was sitting earlier. "So, anything I missed?" Ryan asked her, whispering.

Gabriella quickly glanced at Troy and Sharpay who started singing their piece and turned back to Ryan. "Well, not really. I was just playing with Troy a while ago." She answered. "Looks like he will be torn 

between basketball and singing in the future." Her tone was softer that Ryan almost couldn't hear what she said.

"If that would be the case, I'm sure Sharpay will be facing that case too." Ryan said. "Let's just hope that everything would turn out to be good."

"And let's be there for them."

"Agree."

--

That night, Troy failed to ask Sharpay about the issue why they needed to keep quiet about them kissing. Sure, he knew that Sharpay wasn't yet ready to go out in public with Troy as her boyfriend, _officially_. But he still want to know the reason why.

Gabriella was also acting weird. She was telling him as if he needs to choose between Wildcats and Sharpay. Of course he wouldn't pick one and drop the other. Both the Wildcats and Sharpay was important to him; both were close to his heart that he wouldn't let go the other one and release the other.

_I always dreamt of being in the court – I lived by the court!_ His mind was ranting when he was on his bed, already laying his back on the soft cushions. In between his hands is his beloved teddy bear. _But I have started liking Sharpay even before I started living in the court!_ His mind opposed its own.

Right now, he's really torn between basketball and Sharpay – if he chooses to stay with the team, he will lose Sharpay. But if he chooses Sharpay, he will lose basketball.

"Can't I just have them both?" he asked himself.

_Why are you even thinking about things like that, Troy! The problem is yet unknown and yet you're already creating something on your mind! Jesus, Troy! You're making your own ghost! Why don't you just enjoy what you have right now? Why think of things which would only create chaos and confusion in your mind? _His mind was lecturing him – as if another 'him' has been created out of nowhere. A feeling like when you stand in front of the mirror and your reflection suddenly talks to you.

"Right! Why am I being so hard on myself anyway?" he chooses to agree with his own mind as he closes his eyes and just be in a deep sleep.

_--_

_**Author's Note:**__ Yeah, actually I'm really disappointed at myself with this one. uhm... Review? :)_


	6. Unexpected Meeting

**This chapter contains less humor (or no humor at all)… sorry… I have mispalced where I've put my draft on how this fic should turn out so I'm kind of re-planning the whole stuff... but I hope you'll like this still… :)  
**

**Anyways…please read and review…**

**Don't own High School Musical or any of its characters… :)**

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Ryan went into the hat section in the mall. He saw a new blood-red color hat paired with red polo shirt designed by D&G and he wanted to have it. Hat is something that you can never take out of his system, thus making it a part of his everyday life which makes him happy.

He was trying the blood-red hat on when his cell phone rang. He looked at the screen and Sharpay's name was blinking, together with her picture with pink sparkling headband alongside her puppy.

"Hey, Shar." He answered it.

"Ry, I need the keys to your car." She demanded over the other line. "I forgot to get my purse on your car and my golden life is there! I need my golden life, _now_!" she ordered. And by golden life, Sharpay means her golden credit card she left on Ryan's car when her car ran out of gas so he had to get her from the spa.

"I'm at the Hat section, Shar! Can you just drop by?"

"RY?!" she called back in disbelief. "Hat section is so five floors away from me. I'm at the sparkle station." She told him. And by sparkle station, she meant everywhere she could see pink and sequins – which Ryan isn't sure where on earth is that.

He sighed while rolling his eyes. "Do you want your _golden life_ or not?"

There was a pause before Sharpay could eventually form a sentence or phrase. "Okay, fine! I'll be right there!" then she hung up. If Sharpay's location is totally unknown to Ryan, it's the opposite for Sharpay. She knows that Ryan only uses 'Hat section' when he's buying a D&G label.

He returned on seeing his reflection on the mirror just beside the Hat stand. He made a different sets of poses when his eye caught by the sudden appearance of a brunette-haired girl just outside the store. He spun around, and there he saw Gabriella Montez patiently leaning on the wall with a brown paper bag while looking at her wristwatch.

He instantly took the blood-red hat with him on the counter and ready to pay for it. And before he could actually hand out his credit card, a pair of white hat with silver sparkle designed to be in a checkered pattern interest him, and bought it as well.

As soon as he had paid for his bill, which amounted to almost a hundred thousand U.S. dollar, he approached Gabriella. "Hey, Montez!" he playfully called out to her and much to Gabriella's surprise a smile was painted on her lips at the sight of the blonde-haired boy who has a great love to hats. "Waiting for your date?" he asked as soon as he came face to face with her.

"No, not really." She answered. "I was supposed to meet with Taylor, but when I texted her she told me that she's still with Chad." She explained with a hint of upset on her tone. "I think that's just what it's like having a boyfriend, though." She finished it with a smile on her face and making her voice sound more cheery than before.

Ryan just smiled back.

"So, how about you?" she asked him then.

"Me? Oh, I'm just…" Ryan trailed off as Gabriella was eager to listen to him. He was feeling lost when he looks in her eyes so he looked away for a second. "I just went to buy a new pair of hats." He replied, pointing at the store where he bought his hats.

Gabriella gave a quick glance over at the store. "Ah. Dolce and Gabbana." She said. "I thought that store is only for glam girls like Sharpay?" she asked quizzically.

"Well, it's not." He answered confidently. "But anyway, how about we go have a cup of coffee while waiting for Taylor? I'm pretty sure she'll be minutes late if she's with her, you know – boyfriend." He suggested.

Again, Gabriella took a glance over her wristwatch before turning to Ryan. "Sure."

--

Sharpay was walking through the walkway just a floor below where Ryan was supposed to be buying his new pair of hat when she suddenly bumped into a guy. She dropped her white hand bag with a touch of pink sparkles patterned as stars.

"I'm so sorry, miss." The guy apologized while picking up her bag and giving it back to her.

As they both looked at each other, Sharpay couldn't believe whom she's facing with right now. "Troy." She managed to utter his name while looking at his electric blue eyes which is staring back at hers.

Troy looked the same as she was. "Hey, Shar." His voice sounded more gentle and was more of a whisper. He was about to say another word when someone had interrupted them.

"TROY!" a girl's voice came in.

"SHAR!" it was of a boy's.

They both looked to see who the owners of the familiar voices and they weren't really surprised when they saw Ryan and Gabriella heading towards their direction from the escalator. Troy and Sharpay suddenly broke apart from standing too close with each other.

And as Ryan and Gabriella was making their way towards them, Sharpay gained all her senses and gave Troy the vicious glares she has been giving them. She snatched her bag from him and almost yelled, "Look where you're going, _Bolton_!"

Troy looked taken aback at Sharpay's sudden change of mood. He looked confused but he's sure that he saw Sharpay winked at him, telling him to just play along with her. "Sorry, _Evans_." He told her when he finally understood what Sharpay wanted him to do. He was fully aware that Sharpay asked him to not say anything about them kissing and Troy gave his assurance to her.

Sharpay rolled her eyes and turned to Ryan, holding out her right hand to him. "Your car keys?"

Ryan almost forgot about Sharpay wanting his car keys because she left her purse and golden credit card in his car. "Oh, right." He said as he was pulling out his car keys through his pocket. "Here you go."

Sharpay snatched the keys from her twin brother.

Troy was mouthing 'what' into Gabriella's direction when he saw the grin upon his best friend's face. He knew that grin and he was sure she's teasing him about being with Sharpay. He even mouthed 'stop it' to her but Gabriella's grin grew wider by the minute Troy's cheeks flushed in red color.

Her grin only broke off when he heard Ryan's voice again.

"Gabriella and I are having coffee while she's waiting for Taylor." Ryan told to Troy and Sharpay in particular. "Do both of you wants to join us?" he asked them, looking from Troy to Sharpay then back to his twin sister again for an answer.

Both Troy and Sharpay exchanged glances. They both wanted to join but something's holding them back for some reason. "Like a double date? Hell, no way I'm going to be seen with…" she looked to Troy's direction and displayed a disgusted face. "…this basketball freak!"

Troy raised an eyebrow. "Like I want to be with you as well!" he defended.

"Oh, just shut up, Bolton!"

"Hey!"

"Okay!" Gabriella's voice cut them in as Ryan came in between them.

"Shar, we are _not_ having a double date." Ryan explained, then he glanced to Gabriella's direction. "Just a _friendly_ date… maybe." His last word was almost a whisper as he looked back to Sharpay's direction.

"Bolton and I are so not friends!" she snapped at her twin brother. "So, yeah! Go with Montez or Bolton for a _friendly _date for as hell freezes over. As for me, I'm going to get myself a new pair of Chanel boots!" she marched off and before she could completely disappear, she turned around and waved her fingers upon saying "toodles" to Ryan, Gabriella, and Troy.

"Sorry about my twin." Ryan apologized to Troy in behalf of his twin.

"No problem."

"Anyway, wanna join us?" Gabriella squeaked.

He was about to answer when his cell phone beeped for a new text message. He opened his inbox and saw Sharpay's name registered upon it. He quickly opened her message and he tried hard enough to conceal his excitement. The message says: _you're such a natural. See you soon, Wildcat superstar. ;-)_

He turned to Ryan and Gabriella who are both waiting for a response. "Sorry, I have, uh… I needed to go somewhere." He lied. "Maybe I could catch up with you later, if… if…" he was lost for words. "I'll just, err, try to catch up later, okay?"

Gabriella and Ryan just nodded. Both aren't really getting Troy but they just ignored his utters.

"Say, Gabie…" Ryan called out to Gabriella as they both are heading to the escalator. "Why don't we ask Chad and Taylor to join us for coffee instead? I think it's a better opportunity for me to meet new friends."

Gabriella smiled. "Okay."

--

Troy was leaning coolly over the walls near the parking area's entrance, waiting for Sharpay. When the blonde girl's figure came into his view, he walked towards her in a sneaky manner so he won't get detected. He was right behind Sharpay, waiting for an opportunity to surprise her. When there weren't many people around them, he poked his two fingers on Sharpay's waist.

To her surprise, she spun around and accidentally slapped Troy's face with the back of her hand. Troy held his cheek to where Sharpay had hit him, and Sharpay placed her hands on her mouth 

with an apologetic expression on her face. "Oh, my sparkling God! I'm so sorry." She said apologetically while holding where she had slapped Troy.

He looked at her teasingly. "You hate surprises, don't you?"

She pouted and playfully hit Troy on his arm. "Why, you…"

"Just stating the obvious, Shar." He defended in between his giggles. "You always hit me – accidentally or willingly – whenever I surprise you." He added, explaining.

Sharpay crossed her arms as they started walking together. "Yeah. As a matter of fact, I do. I hate surprises. As you can see, I nearly _killed _you many times because of your surprises." She told him and they both laughed a bit about it.

"Say, why don't we go for coffee?"

Sharpay's eyes widened while facing Troy. "My brother and Montez are having coffee. Troy, we can't be seen together, right?" she reminded him. "We're supposed to be hating and cursing each other in public and right now, we're not near any of it."

Troy sighed. "But, Shar…"

"Troy, you gave me your word."

"I know, but…"

Troy was cut off by the sudden appearance of the African-American couple that goes by the names of Taylor McKessie and Chad Danforth. They are both looking amazed at the sight of them together. "Did we just saw you chatting together?" Taylor asked to no one in particular, looking confused at the sight of Troy and Sharpay.

Both Troy and Sharpay looked at each other for a while before they could get their acts together.

"Us? Talking?" Sharpay smirked and rolled eyes again. "Please! Like I would want to talk to your basketball freak friend here!" she added and turned to Troy, making her back face Taylor and Chad. She winked again before continuing. "So you better not get in my way ever again! Got that, _Bolton_?!"

Again, she marched off, this time with cell phone on her hand. Troy was following her with a look and he was pretty sure that Sharpay is typing a message for him. And true enough, his cell phone beeped again for a new message.

He opened his inbox and saw Sharpay's name again. This time, the message contains: _Sorry. We really can't be seen together right now. Catch you next time. ;-)_

He sighed after reading her message.

"Troy, are you alright?" Chad asked.

He nodded while turning to face his best friend. "I gotta catch up on something." He told them as he, too, began marching off heading to where Sharpay had disappeared not so long ago.

Taylor and Chad were left with confusion on their faces while watching him vanish just around the corner.

--

"Shar!" he uttered, loud enough for Sharpay to hear him.

She turned. "What?" she asked while she continued on walking.

"Let's go out some time."

"What?!" she stopped, facing Troy in shocked. "Are you crazy?"

"I guess."

"But…"

"Sharpay!" he cut her off. "I know I gave you my word, and I assure you that I will stick to my word." He told her and Sharpay stopped to listen. "But I never told you I would stop talking to you." He added.

--

_**Author's Note:**__ The last part just came up to me and this is how it turned out. I was also listening to the song "Stick To The Status Quo" when I came up to this and I'm pretty sure you get the song's message, right? I mean, sticking to the stuff you know…  
_

_Uhm, review? :)_


	7. That Was Your Cue!

**This chapter doesn't contain much humor than the previous chapters (again)… I wanted to make this chapter a disastrous one but it somehow ended up like this – dramatic! (ackk!!)**

**Don't own High School Musical or any of its characters… read and review… :)**

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Sharpay walks around her bedroom more than she practically used to do. It's nearing ten and Troy haven't have called her yet and the feeling of nervousness starts sinking in her heart and in her head. She opened her bedroom door, looking at the empty corridors of their mansion in her pink robes.

There wasn't any noise that she can detect – not even a single note from Ryan's usual humming tunes late in the evening as his every day – or in this case, his every night routine to fall asleep. Not even a noise from his television, so she was sure that she's the only one awake.

Her cell phone starts ringing and because of the tense she was feeling, she suddenly jumped out of her bedroom door and mentally kicked herself while hitting her own forehead. She went inside her bedroom in an instant. Attempting to not make any more noise, she walked with such haste and in the process she stumbled down upon intertwining on her own foot. Her forehead slammed on her carpeted floor.

She stood up, holding her forehead throbbing in pain. She reached for her cell phone before the ringing would end. Troy's name was flashing on her cell phone screen and she quickly answered his call. "Troy?"

"Did I wake you up?" he asked nervously. "I, uh… I'm sorry if I ever did wake you up."

"Silly!" she cut him off, slowly smiling to herself. "I was waiting for your call."

"Oh!" his voice became lively. "I see. Well, can you look out on your window, please?"

His request made her heart jumped in surprise. She went into her carnation pink curtained window facing the street ways near their gate. She peaked over the curtains and saw Troy standing beside the street lights. He waved at her as soon as his eyes caught sight of her face. She waved back.

"Don't go anywhere. I'll be right there." She told him and hung up. She secretly laughed to herself in disbelief. Troy actually did what she had told him to do. He came at exactly ten in the evening, standing on one of their street lamps waiting for her to come down from their mansion.

She took off her robes, revealing her long sleeved top, jeans with a little bit of sparkles, and white socks. She quickly put on her new Marc Ecko shoes – the one that Ashley Tisdale wore on its commercial, and reached for her jacket to protect her from the coldness of the night. She checked herself on her body-sized mirror and put on her strawberry flavoured lip gloss.

She sneaked through their backyard, where their securities are having their late dinner. She knows their securities time of dinner and she doesn't want anyone to know about her secret meeting with Troy.

Meanwhile, Troy was looking on their front gate, patiently waiting for Sharpay's appearance. Troy was always the one who surprises Sharpay but this time, it's the other way around. Sharpay poked Troy on his waist and he was the one who turned around with much surprised on his face. Fortunately, Troy wasn't anything like Sharpay who accidentally or willingly hit other people.

He was astonished by her giggles. Those were the first time he ever saw her smile and hear her laugh without giving pain to other people. "What was that for?" he managed to ask while laughing with her, and as if he wasn't contented with laughing with her, he poked his fingers to her waist as Sharpay began and continued to squeak in laughters.

"Troy! Stop it!" she ordered in between her laugh and running away from Troy who was still tickling her. "Troy!" she called out still when Troy didn't obey her. And when Sharpay was exhausted from laughing and running away from Troy on the grassy side of the streets, Sharpay lay down and Troy was right behind her. He was embracing her from behind.

Troy's chin was on Sharpay's left shoulder at that moment until they both have calmed down from laughing and tickling each other. Both of them were looking at the starry sky. Sharpay swore that she could feel the warm air coming through from Troy's breath. She slowly turned her head to stare on his blue eyes.

Troy looked back when he felt she was looking at him. "What is it?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

He smiled. "Well, staring at me like that is surely nothing I suppose?"

Again, she shook her head. "I'm staring at you because I like to." She told him. "I'm staring at you because I can't believe how you do all these things to me. And I'm staring at you because…" she paused.

Troy's eyebrows met. "…because?"

Instead of answering him, she motioned her body to be a bit lower than Troy's and started resting her head on his chest. Troy wrapped his arms around her as Sharpay starts feeling the beat of his heart. _Or was it my heart?_ She mentally asked herself.

"Troy?" she called out gently.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you kiss me?" she asked.

Troy tried looking at her but her blonde hair was all he could see. "What kind of answer do you want to hear from me?"

"The truth."

He inhaled deeply as possible. He closed his eyes and rested on her head. "If I told you that I kissed you because that was what I wanted to do, would you kill me?" he asked and Sharpay playfully punched his arm. He sneered. "I felt perverted." He joked and Sharpay pushed him while straightening herself, facing him and shot him her glares. He stretched his arms as a sign of surrender and laughed. "I was just joking." He confessed.

"You better be." She eyed him cruelly.

He smiled again. "I am _not_ a perv, Shar." He told her assuringly.

--

Sticking to the status quo is what everyone at East High follows as their main principle to get through East High without a sweat. They firmly believes that sticking to the stuff you know is what makes you find your own peers and if you break out of it, it will just bring chaos to everyone – just like having a cat, a dog, and a hamster as a pet which everyone knew that these things don't go together peacefully.

And when someone believes that they can all go together, Sharpay would probably tell that person to see a psychiatrist in which she would really mean it.

Ryan personally thought his sister should go and see a psychiatrist for slowly breaking out of the status quo. His twin sister may not know it but she's beginning to go out of the stuff she usually does and that would be a major problem in the future. But for as long as the problem isn't still here, he thinks that it's okay for her to explore outside her own world.

He was watching Sharpay on the corner of their dressing room, giggling to herself while reading the text message on her cell phone – and he could only guess that it came from a certain person named Troy. Ten more minutes and their Homeroom class would be starting any time soon. He tilted back his head and just at the corner of the hallway sat Troy, also holding out his cell phone while reading a message.

"Better keep that gadget before Mrs. Darbus could confiscate that." He warned her.

Sharpay acted as though she wasn't surprised upon hearing his voice, but the truth is, she almost lost grip of her cell phone. Luckily, she caught it with her own hands. She faced his direction and smiled. "Ry, don't scare me like that."

He frowned in confusion. "Since when did I scare you?"

She opened her mouth but no words came out to defend herself. "Whatever, Ry." She replied and returning to read her text message.

Ryan took a step closer to her. "Who are you texting?"

Sharpay blocked the screen of her cell phone by bringing it to her chest. "N-no one." She lied and Sharpay isn't good at lying. She's the best when it come to acting but not telling lies and Ryan detected the sound and act of lie in his twin.

He eyed her suspiciously. "By the way," he called out to her again, making his voice sound natural. "Are you aware that you and Troy will be performing first for our homeroom project?" he asked. And just as he thought, Sharpay jumped out of her seat in great shock.

"Oh, God! I almost forgot!" she said in panic and poked her head on the door. "HEY, T—" there was a pause. "I mean, BOLTON!" she continued, calling out to Troy. "OUTFIT, NOW! WE'RE THE FIRST TO PERFORM!" she finished and Ryan swore he heard Troy mutter the same words Sharpay used and panic was all over them as they both grabbed their things to change into their Arabian costume.

--

Troy froze in front of the mirror, looking at his own reflection in his Arabian outfit. How Ryan managed to get the exact replica of Aladdin's costume in the motion picture, he doesn't care. What he cares about right now is how ridiculous he thought he looked like – not to mention, the cap with a large feather attached on the front portion.

"Ready, Troy?" came in Ryan's voice.

He blinked through Ryan's reflection in the mirror. He couldn't manage to utter a single word. He tried opening his mouth for a word but he ended up curling his upper lip in dismay. "Evans…" he called out softly. "What have you done to me?"

Ryan almost burst out into laughter as he steps into his direction. "Troy, you're Aladdin!"

He turned to the blonde boy who is used into performing in front of live audience in different types of costumes and looks, his eyes still wide opened. He blinked again. "I thought we'll only sing the Aladdin song – _not completely be Aladdin!_" he heard himself almost complain.

Ryan crossed his arms. "This _is_ our project, Troy. The bulletin post clearly says that we're supposed to _perform_ and costumes are part of performing." He reminded him while explaining why he has to be dressed like his character. "Need I remind you also that you're grouped with Sharpay and I? Not to mention, my twin sister loves performing and basically, this whole costume thing is her idea."

Troy looked as though he just got a death threat upon hearing Ryan's words. He couldn't believe how stupid he was on not thinking about these certain possibilities. He's a basketball superstar and not a feathered-cap performing guy. His reputation could be at stake.

"Troy!" came in a new voice. Both him and Ryan turned and saw Kelsi's figure standing over the doorstep. "We're performing in fifteen seconds. Sharpay's on standby. Come on!" she announced and vanished in an instant.

He gulped and slapped his forehead. He even looked like he'd be under death sentence in any moment. Knowing how bully the students of East High, not to mention his own team – the Wildcats, can be sometimes.

"Troy!" Ryan clicked his fingers in front of his eyes. "In ten seconds, now." He said, pointing outside the dressing room, to take his cue for their performance.

Slowly and reluctantly, he walked towards the hallways towards the entrance to the front stage. That was when he suddenly remembered about Gabriella's rantings. _"I still can't figure out why we're doing singing and acting and dancing for homeroom."_ That was what his best friend was making an argument before – and she was right. Even he himself couldn't figure out why Mrs. Darbus wanted them to be singing and dancing, not to mention acting, for their homeroom class.

"_We're not even taking up 'Theatre 101' so why are we even doing a project which is something like that?"_ Again, that was one of her complaints and this is the only time when he wanted to tell her that she was right and Mrs. Darbus is driving him mad.

And why did it take him this long to finally realize that Gabriella has a point?

"_And even if you know you'll be singing with Sharpay in front of everyone at East High, you will still enjoy it because you will be singing with Sharpay and that's all that matters, right Troy? That in not less than a week, you'll be signing up for the Twinkle Towne's auditions with Sharpay, right? And that even if your career with the rest of East High will be put to jeopardy, you'll still pick Twinkle Towne and be with Sharpay, right Troy?"_

Keyword: Sharpay!

He was distracted by her presence and it's true that he wanted to enjoy the moment with her. His eye caught the sudden appearance of the blonde girl dressed like Princess Jasmine on the movie right across his direction. She smiled at him – he's sure of that. But even though she smiled at him, all that could be registered on his mind was her never-ending line of "I DON'T WANT YOU IN MY SHOW, BOLTON!" and "DON'T RUIN MY SHOW OR I WILL DEFINTELY _KILL _YOU!"

He gulped. He better not screw up or else, he'll be back to negative zero point zero percent chance on being close with his dream girl – Sharpay. He doesn't want to get his nose be nearly broken or saying good bye to his precious manhood. He couldn't stand those kind of scenes anymore.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply to relax himself as he waits for his own cue. And in less than three seconds, Kelsi started playing her piano. The lights closed and all he could hear was his heart pounding fast and cold sweat was all over his face and body. But when it's time for him to sing and go on the stage, his feet couldn't take a single step. The music played on, but still nothing.

"Troy! What the hell is wrong with you?" he heard Gabriella hissed.

He looked back. And even if it was dark, he could still make an outline of his best friend. "I…"

"That was your cue! How could you miss it?"

"But…"

"Troy!"

"I can't go out looking like this! Gabie…"

"Yes, you can!"

"Group one." Mrs. Darbus' voice gained their attention and the spotlight was on hers. "Are you prepared to perform?" she asked them, looking on her list. "You better perform now or you'll get a minus on my grade's list."

Troy turned again to Gabriella. "Gabie, I…"

"What the hell is up, Bolton?" Sharpay's cold, irritated voice came in. "That was your cue!"

"Sharpay…"

"If you don't get out there now, I swear I'm going to make your life miserable!" she commanded.

"I can't!" he told her.

"Group one?" again, it was Mrs. Darbus.

Sharpay glared at him and went on the stage. She flashed her best smile. "Just a moment, Mrs. Darbus." She replied. "My, uh, partner's just gaining his courage. You know how _un_professional the people outside our world, right?" she added in a manner of joking when in fact, she was insinuating something to Troy.

"Thirty seconds, Ms. Evans." Mrs. Darbus called out.

Sharpay returned to Troy. "Look here, Bolton! You are _not_ going to sacrifice my whole career with that attitude of yours! It's either you go out there and perform with me or you'll be sorry for the rest of your life!" she said haughtily and marched off.

Troy watched her leave before turning to Gabriella who looks angrier than ever. "Look, you can just forget her 'whole career' thing, but please! Go out there for our grades' sake!" she almost begged him.

"What if I screw up?"

"Don't you think you already did?" Ryan's cold voice came in. "If you can't do it, just give me the costumes and I'll be ready in less than ten seconds."


End file.
